Brake-beam for railroad-cars



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet I.

F. J; COLE.

BRAKE BEAM FOR RAILROAD CARS.

No. 503,263. Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheath-81mm 2.

P J COLE BRA-KB B'EAM FOR RAILROAD (JARS.

, Patented Aug. 15, 1893.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Aug. 15,1893.

P. J.. COLE. BRAKE BEAM FOR RAILRQAD GARS dzg a (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS J. COLE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BRAKE-BEAM FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,263, dated August15, 1893.

Application filed April 11, 1 8 9 3 To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. Gone, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Baltimore city and State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams for Railroad-Oars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in brake-beams used inapplyingthe brake-shoes or rubbers to Wheels of railroad cars and otherrolling stock, and provides a strong rigid trussed-beam,wl1ich can beeasily and cheaply constructed and through which the brakingforceapplied through the brake-lever can be transmitted to the wheels withbut little deflection or lost motion. Heretofore brakebeams have beenmade in many diiferent forms of greater or less complication. The greatdesideratum in a brake-beam is simplicity, strength and cheapness ofconstruction. These objects I attain by making a beam of rolled angleiron of various shapes, securing a malleable iron head upon both endsand bracing the two ends of the beam by a suitable truss-rod andabifurcated king-strut.

The novel features of my invention consist of the use of straightsections of angle-iron or steel of varying shapes, (I or U shapes beingpreferred) as the brake-beam cast-heads secured to the extremitiesthereof, to which the brake-shoe-heads may be directly bolted in theusual manner; a truss-rod secured to the brake beam -head at a pointbetween the brake-shoebolts and the king-strut, so as to leave a clearpassage for the brake-shoe-bolts in the extremities of thebrake-beam-heads. The truss-rods are secured to the brake-beamheads andthe king-post or strut in various ways. The bifurcated king post orstrut serves a double purpose, that of separating the compression-memberand the extensionmember, and upon which the strain is distributed, andalso the purpose of carrying a hearing for the brake-lever which passesthrough the center of said strut. This strut is constructed in apeculiar manner; it is seated at the end next the truss-rods in a socketin which it will turn, but which is provided with clamping-devices bywhich it may be rigidly fixed in the socket at any desired angle. Theend next the brake-beam is secured to the brake-beam by means of a boltwhich, when Serial No. 469,945- (No model.)

parts used in other connections or a broken part replaced or the partsmay be readjusted by tightening up the struts.

In the drawings Figure 1 is aplan view of one form of brake-beam andtruss-rod. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of the brake-beam and truss-rod, showing a full side-elevationof the king-strut. Fig. a is a plan view of a different form ofbrakebeam, brake-beamhead, truss-rod-attachment and means for securingthe same to the kingstrut. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the brakebeam-head and a portion of the brake-beam and truss-rod. Fig. 6 is stillanother modified form of the brake-beam-head and means of attaching thetruss-rod to the same. Fig. 7 is a bottom View of the same. Fig. 8 isaplan View of another form of brake-bar and head, the brake-bar beingcomposed of a U-shaped channel-iron. Fig. 9 is a section of thechanne1-iron used in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is asectional view of thechannel-iron and head or block. Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the endof the brake-beam and head, and side-elevation of the brake-head andshoe, showing the means of attachment of the brake-head to the beam.Fig. 12, is a plan view of another modified form of beam and head andshowing a modified method of introducing the truss-rod. Fig. 13 is arear view of the same. Fig. 14. is a side elevation of the king strutshowing the brake-beam and truss-bar in section.

Referring to Fig. 1 A represents the brakebeam made of a piece of Ishaped iron; this beam is generally made straight; if desired, however,it may be bent a little in the center; on either end of the brake-beamthere is placed a malleable iron head B into which the beam A fits; theheadB is perforated as shown in Fig. 2 with two bolt-holes Z), at rightangles to its front and rear surfaces, the other If at an angle of aboutforty-five degrees; it is also provided on its upper side With a boss orlug 12 through which the diagonal hole passes.

O is the king-strnt or post, whichis bifurcated in its center at D, butsaid bifurcation is closed at both ends. At its upper end it isperforated and through the hole thus formed a bolt E passes and alsothrough ahole in the center portion of the I iron of the brakebeam. Bythis hole the king-strut may be rigidly secured to the brake-beam at itsup per end. The strut is constructed in two parts, the bifurcatedportion OO and aing of Whichthe socket may be rigidly clamped upon thelower end of the kin g-post. Through the" centers of thetwo portions ofthe king- 3 posts 0 and O are holes J -.I which form bearings for thepivot of the brake-lever. It will be observed that, when the bolts E andI are; loosened the king-post may be rotated upon its axis and placed atany desired inclination,

thus giving any desired angle to the brakelever; the bolts E and I maythen be screwed up and the post clamped rigidly in the desired position.

holein the bottom of socket F and the ends pass through the inclinedholes I) in the ends of the brake-beam and are held in place by boltedto them.

' Referring to Fig. 4, the form of brake-beamhead B shown in that figurediffers from that of Fig. 1 and the truss-rods K also differ somewhat intheir method of attachment to the brake-beam-head and also to the footof the king-post. In this case the brake-beam-head is not perforatedentirely through by a hole for the truss-rod, but is simply providedwith i a socket on its front side into which the head of the truss-rodfits and which is cut away on the upper side so that the brake-beam Amayenterthe head above the head of'the truss-rod, and thus theperforation of the brake-beam for the passage of the truss-rod isavoided. The truss-rod is divided into two parts, and nuts are screwedupon the ends 10 where they pass through holes in a casing F on thelower end of the socket F of the king-post.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a still further modified form in which the brake-beam-headB is perforated with a socket 16 The truss-rod K passes into the headthrough a hole 10 and intd the socket k where it is screwed into a nutin which has been placed in said socket. Fig. 7 is another view of thesame.

Fig. 8 shows the brake-beam made of a U-shaped channel-iron, shown insection Through I in Fig. 9, preferably pressed or struck up out ofplate steel. The brakebeam-head B consists of a block which is fittedinto the U or channel-iron, filling the same, and which 7 is bolted tothe channehiron by bolts b b The head B4 is shown in section in Fig. 10.In the rear side of said block is a notch b and from it a perforation bpasses through the end of the block, through which passes the truss-rodK In this case as in all other forms, the truss-rod is secured to thehead B at a point between the center of the brakebeam and the pointwhere the bolt for the brake-head passes through the brake-beamhead.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 show still another fmodified form of brake-beam,which consists of two parallel bars of metal which constitute thecompression-member, and which may be bolted together if desired.

In this specification the caps or fillings on the ends of thebrake-beams are called the brake-beam-heads. The truss-rods, sometimesone rod and sometimes two rods, are

1 called truss-rodsyand the portion of the K is the truss-rod whichpasses through a.

brake-shoe which is secured to the beamheads are calledbrake-shoe-heads.

An important feature of my brake-beam is the simplicity of thecombination of a piece of straight rolled iron, a head and a boltthrough the head by which to secure the brake-head in the same way inwhich it has been heretofore secured to a wooden beam. My beam becomes acomplete substitute for the wooden beam from this fact, while thestraight piece of rolled iron gives the requisite strength and the heada sufficient body of metal to which to attach the truss- .rod and thebrake-head.

What I claim is 1. In a brake-beam the combination of a brake beam,truss rods and king -post, the king-post consisting of two parts, a postand a socket therefor, said socket being provided with means for rigidlyclamping the post in the socket in any desired position.

2. In a brake-beam the combination of a brake-beam, truss-rods andking-post, said king-post being constructed in two parts, a post and asocket, s'aidsocket being provided with means for clamping it upon thepost in any desired position, the other end of said post being securedto the brake -beam by means of an axial bolt, which may be loosened andtightened to allow a change of position of the king-post and its rigidfixation in any desired position.

3. In a brake-beam the combination of a brake-beam consisting of aU-shaped channel-iron, a king-post secured to the center of thebrake-beam, and a truss-rod secured to the two ends of the brake-beamand passing over the extremity of the king-post.

4. In a brake beam the combination of a brake-beam consisting of a Ushaped channel-iron, a head secured to either end thereof, a king-=postsecured to the center of the brake-"beam, and a truss-rod secured to thethe beam and truss-rods, provided with heads two heads of the brake-beamand passing or nuts on one end which are secured in sockover theextremity of the king-post. ets in the under sides of the beam-heads,the 5. In a brake-beam the combination of a other ends of which passthrough the lower brake-beam consisting of aU-sl1apedchanend of thestrut and are secured thereto by nel-iron, a head secured to either endtherenuts. of, consisting of a block of metal fitting the Signed atBaltimore city and State of Marychannel-iron and filling the spacebetween land this 27th day of March, A. D. 1893. the Walls thereof.FRANCIS J. COLE.

6. In a brake-beam the combination of a brake-beam, a head secured toeither end thereof, a king-post secured to the center of Witnesses:

J. H. ADAMS, OLIVER C. CROMWELL.

